Sarah Jane Maki

Mindo Chocolate Sustainable Package Design

client: Mindo Chocolate Makers

This work was produced as a two part project – brand strategy followed by sustainable package design. In the initial phase, I performed research on the social (cultural), economical and environmental aspects of chocolate making, through which I gained an intimate knowledge of the process from farm to table. I also interviewed the client and other stakeholders in an effort to learn as much as I could about their goals, perceived needs, behavior and values.

For the second phase of the project, I created sustainable packaging solutions for Mindo. I reviewed artisan chocolate making, explored the competition and market, looked at potential materials and processes, explored the supply chain of those ideas and finally outlined a solution that encompasses all the data collected.

You will find an overview of the process in the Case Study and detailed documentation in the Full Report.

PVC Life-cycle Analysis Graphics

Visual Communication: The Environmental Impact of PVC Vinyl

This infographic was part of a Life Cycle Analysis (LCA) project I undertook about PVC vinyl . I compared the environmental impact of a PVC vinyl banner to that of a comparable banner made of organic cotton canvas.

This LCA looked at all aspects of environmental impact, from the mining of the metal for the grommets to the petroleum in the inks used for printing. I also calculated the transportation miles for all the elements of the final product.

During the course of the project, I learned how destructive PVC materials are to the ecosphere. PVC is the number 1 producer of dioxins in the environment. It is toxic to make and toxic to dispose of. Once manufactured, there are few options to recycle PVC, and it continues to break down, off-gas and produce environmental toxins throughout its time on Earth.

Jeans Infographic

This is a storytelling graphic depicting the supply chain of denim jeans as viewed through the sustainability principles of The Natural Step Framework.

It illustrates the four system conditions of the NSF, which state:

To become a sustainable society we must …

1. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of substances extracted from the Earth’s crust (for example, heavy metals and fossil fuels)

2. eliminate our contribution to the progressive buildup of chemicals and compounds produced by society (for example, dioxins, PCBs, and DDT)

3. eliminate our contribution to the progressive physical degradation and destruction of nature and natural processes (for example, over harvesting forests and paving over critical wildlife habitat); and

4. eliminate our contribution to conditions that undermine people’s capacity to meet their basic human needs (for example, unsafe working conditions and not enough pay to live on).

These system principles are represented by what I refer to as system condition “short” names:

1. Take

2. Make

3. Break

4. Needs